Frank Lampard believes that this season's Premier League is the most competitive since he started playing in the division 16 years ago. The midfielder has also had to accept being rotated for Chelsea as André Villas-Boas deals with the demands of the league and also competing for three other trophies.

Lampard, who scored for Chelsea in the 1-1 draw against Valencia in the Champions League group game on Wednesday, said: "Yeah, I would say it is the most competitive, with the inclusion of Manchester City as a major force from what they've spent and the team that they've assembled and squad. Liverpool have invested during the summer and bought themselves right back into the equation and Tottenham Hotspur have been there for a few years so once you add them to the established four, you really have got a competitive league.

"You have to win all your home bankers because when you look around, everyone else does. We're on a very good run; the Manchester United game was a strange old game [a 3-1 defeat] but other than that I think we're on a pretty good run and we must keep that going."

While Chelsea stand third, three points behind City and United, Lampard relishes the heightened challenge. "You welcome the competition and you understand it can't always be a doddle, it can't be easy to go and win leagues – it's tough stuff. For all we joke that you'd like to win the league at a canter, I think you can always be very happy that we are in what we all see as the best league in the world."

Lampard also said that the competition he faces to reclaim a regular starting place under Villas-Boas causes differing demands. "You have to be strong and you have to keep yourself in shape and train if you're not playing, and be ready when called upon, if that's the way the manager's going to do it," he said. "That's the thing – we've got a big enough squad, you have to respect the squad, respect the players that play when you don't play, and when you do play try and show the manager that, 'OK, you want to rotate but I want to be one of the players that you can put your house on that is going to play pretty regularly.' That's all you can do."

Lampard, who between 2001 and 2005 made a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances for an outfield player, claimed it has not been hard for him to return to the first XI after missing games. His start against Valencia was the first since 18 September, and he said: "You [have to] look after yourself and work hard in training. If you're missing 90 minutes and the other lads are playing, you have to do extra stuff.

"I am a man who likes to play consistently; I always play better when I'm on a run of games. Sometimes in early season, in many seasons, it's taken me a few games to get into it, and be my best. So hopefully that's what will happen. But it's the manager's decision really."

As for Carlos Tevez, who refused to come on as a substitute for City in their Champions League game on Tuesday against Bayern Munich, Lampard was careful not to criticise the Argentinian. But the 33-year-old did say he would not have done the same: "I can understand people's frustration and some might make the wrong decision at the wrong time and regret it afterwards, so I'm not going to dig anybody out. But I wouldn't turn down coming on. I don't [imagine myself doing that] but we deal with it in different ways.

"That doesn't mean I'm happy on the day [if not selected] but I don't think the manager or any person would expect you to be happy. Otherwise you're picking up your money to be content to stick your bum on the bench."